


The Way (He Wished to be Loved)

by MuscleMemory



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Christmas, Dogs, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Foster Care, Jax the dog, M/M, Prompt Fic, Social Issues, SocialWorker!Alec, mentions of abuse, vet!magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:20:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28283076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuscleMemory/pseuds/MuscleMemory
Summary: A prompt fic for several people: Alec panics after his dog ate chocolate, and seeks out the closest vet, who happens to be Magnus. Love happens.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 38
Kudos: 119





	The Way (He Wished to be Loved)

“Alec… shit, Alec.” Jace is staring at the brown Labrador sitting half behind Alec’s chair where Jace has a good view of him, sitting on the opposite side of the small, round table outside, at the Christmas market, drinking their third mug of hot, mulled wine.

His friend furrows a brow at him, giving him a confused look. Jace swallows hard. Fuck.

“I think that kid just now gave Jax some chocolate.” Jace’s expression is screaming of fear, guilt, and remorse, but Alec doesn’t even notice any of it, the shock snaking into his bones as he turns with haste at his friend’s words, staring at his dog in horror.

He leaps off of his chair, squats down next to the dog and tries to get his mouth open. “Are you sure? What kind of chocolate? How much? And why didn’t you say anything sooner?” 

Alec’s losing his temper out of fear for his dog, and Jace stands, trying to explain.

“I didn’t really see it, just noticed the kid with a bag of those chocolate drops, you know? She passed by and then I noticed Jax chewing, but I could be mistaken.” They both know he is not.

“Where’s the next vet? Or an animal clinic?” Alec is looking his dog over anxiously, his biggest fear that he’ll suddenly pass out, or worse. 

Jace is frantically fishing his phone from his pocket, almost dropping it, and finally finds an address, Alec getting more and more upset. “But it’s past opening times now- hey, Alec!” 

Alec knows where that is, not caring for anything else, as he starts to run, Jax right by his side, not even giving Jace a chance to follow. 

When they reach the road, his heart feels as if it’s bursting from his chest, and he keeps glancing down at Jax every few seconds, feeling more and more panicked. 

What if he loses consciousness? What if he is poisoned as badly as  _ that time  _ again? Alec can’t stay calm, and he can’t let his poisoned dog run like this, he might make everything worse, so he hoists him up with a loud groan, because he’s big and heavy now, but Alec doesn’t care, he just needs to get to that vet, whatever it takes. 

~~~

Magnus has been examining every piece of work from today as thoroughly as he does every time, and even gotten changed at the practice, to make it to Catarina’s Christmas party on time. 

It’s been a long, exhausting day, and he’s looking forward to seeing most of his friends there. 

He looks himself over in the small mirror in the bathroom, fixes a strand of hair, and content with what he sees, heads out to grab his coat, shawl, and gloves. It’s a cold, wet night, but it hasn't rained or snowed in the past couple of hours, and he hopes it will stay that way until he reaches his friend’s apartment. 

He locks up, and steps down the lit up stairs to walk a few blocks down the road to the bus station, when he hears a man shouting, and turns his head towards the voice. 

He’s seen a lot in his time as a veterinarian, but not yet a man, if tall, and probably stronger than he seems at first glance, carrying a big Labrador in his arms as he runs towards him.

The man is completely out of breath, and sweaty, but still not putting the dog down as they reach him. The dog is panting, looking rather fine, and unbothered to Magnus, even licks the man’s face as he’s trying to say something.

“Boy, boy, wait, it’s okay. Are you the vet? Is this the practice? My dog got poisoned, please, he needs help immediately.” 

Magnus is perplexed. Poisoned? The dog definitely doesn’t look like it, but the guy looks out of it with worry, rather panicked, and Magnus can’t reject someone in need - well, animals. 

And if he really is poisoned, every moment counts. “I am the vet, come inside.” 

He hurries up the steps again, unlocks the door, and turns the light on, quickly undresses what he doesn’t need, and shows the man to the examination room where he puts the dog down with a lot of care, straining all of his body even more, Magnus notes quietly.

“What happened? What did he get poisoned with?” Magnus prepares himself quickly, and immediately starts to examine the dog.

“Chocolate.” The man says, still catching his breath, bent down, hands on his thighs, never taking his eyes off of the dog. 

Chocolate? Magnus must admit he thought of even worse judging from the man’s actions, but chocolate can - in circumstances - be very dangerous, and even lethal, to dogs. 

“How much, and what kind?” The dog is calm, doesn’t mind Magnus at all, and seems completely fine, but if he ate too much that could change within a few hours. 

“I don’t know, my friend, he said that a kid walked by, and Jax was behind me, and she had a bag of chocolate drops, you know those tiny chocolate… thingies, and sometimes they’re mixed chocolate, but it could just be white, milk, or dark, too.” 

Magnus listens closely to Jax’s owner, and the dog’s breathing, and suppresses a slight smirk at the man’s choice of words. The poor guy is genuinely scared and upset, after all.

“Well, do you, or your friend know how long the kid was feeding the dog chocolate for?” He’s rather big, strong, well defined, and obviously very well looked after, and Magnus very much doubts that the kid could have fed him an amount of chocolate that could seriously harm him.

“No, but, maybe a minute, or less, he said she just walked by, but maybe not.” The guy seems to be struggling with logic and anxiety, and Magnus feels sympathetic. 

“How much does he weigh? And has he ever eaten chocolate before?” Magnus checks the dog’s blood pressure, body reflexes, temperature, and heart rate.

“He weighs 30 kilograms, and he hasn’t to my knowledge, but I’ve only had him for ten months, he’s one and a half, and he’s been poisoned before, with rat poison, but he got well, he’s fine, but what if this is going to make him really sick again?” 

Magnus feels fleetingly impressed by the guy carrying that much weight while running here. The closest Christmas market is about 20 minutes away. Did he really carry him all that time? And how did the poor animal get poisoned with that?

The man crouches down beside Magnus suddenly, and as Magnus turns his head to him, he’s surprised by the man’s intense gaze directly into his own eyes, perceiving and filing away in his mind their hazel color, his nose dimple, eyebrow scar, and light stubble. A very handsome, very anxious face. 

Magnus’ heart is beating just a little bit faster, but he reacts quickly, professionally, and shoves those new insights aside.

He stands and pats the dog that is very friendly, wagging his tail, demanding more affection.

“Seeing as we’re not sure how much chocolate he ate, I’m going to give him an injection to make him vomit.” 

Alec nods, hating to do that to Jax, but it’s better than watching him get sick, and worse. He stays with Jax, stroking, cuddling, and talking quietly to him, though Jax seems much calmer than his human, while the vet prepares the injection and brings a large, silver bowl for the dog, to hopefully puke into rather than on the floor. 

Magnus injects the dog who has now settled down on the floor comfortably, his head on his owner’s lap. 

“It might take a while to take effect, but shouldn’t be too long. Are you good to stay here for a minute? I have to make a call.” 

Alec nods, so grateful to this vet, so lucky he got here just in time, but feeling guilty it came to this because of his inattention. Which reminds him to text Jace so he doesn’t have to worry.

Magnus leaves the room, keeps the door slightly ajar, and walks to his office to call Catarina. He feels a little regretful, but at least it’s not something worse. He will still make it to her party fashionably late.

_ “Magnus! Are you almost here? We’re waiting for you.”  _

Magnus sighs inwardly, smiling softly. “Not yet, I’m sorry I’ll be late, an emergency showed up the minute I left the practice.” 

_ “Oh no, what happened?” _

“Well, a man came running carrying his 30 kilo Labrador Retriever who probably ate some chocolate. We’re waiting for him to vomit.” Magnus chuckles softly, the image of the guy and his dog amusing him still, but he is very fond of humans who are genuinely worried for their animals, and taking good care of them. He’s seen too many awful things due to ignorance, indifference, and neglect.

_ “Oh, how charming.”  _ She’s laughing a little, and Magnus knows she won’t be miffed at him.

“Kind of is.” Those hazel eyes… 

_ “What did you say?”  _

Magnus blinks and turns, getting his thoughts back on track. “Oh, nothing. I’ll text you when we’re done here. Have a drink on me in the meantime.” 

She assures him that they will, and Magnus ends the call, and heads back to his patient and his troubled human. 

He can hear the dog being sick before he steps back into the room, glad to see they are managing to use the bowl. 

The man is talking to his dog quietly, holding his head, earnest regret on his face. He probably blames himself, but these things happen.

“He might feel a bit sedated and wobbly for a couple of hours, but he’ll be fine after that, I promise.” Magnus smiles gently at the man, whose eyes have moved up to look at him.

“Yeah, I know, he’s been through worse, but that’s why I don’t want him to go through bad things anymore.” 

Magnus nods in understanding, and they wait quietly until it seems that Jax has got rid of all of his intestines’ contents.

He observes Jax for a few more minutes, checking his vital signs again. The dog seems a little more tired, but he’s already wagging his tail again, enjoying both the humans’ attention, but Magnus is very aware of the intense, inquisitive eyes of his human, glancing at him cautiously, but attentively, and he does his best to seem calm and confident, which he is.

“If he isn’t sick again within the next hour, you can start by giving him a bit of water and his favorite food, and then just keep observing him, but he should be completely fine.” 

“Okay, thank you. What if he isn’t, though?” Magnus smiles to himself, finding the man’s overprotectiveness quite endearing, though some of these humans can become rather annoying quickly, but he gets it, especially judging from their previous traumatic experience. 

“Follow me for a minute.” Magnus takes Alec into his office, Jax right by his side. He opens a drawer and hands him a brochure. “Call this clinic if anything happens that worries you tonight. They’re open 24/7, and I will also give you this, it’s charcoal, just mix it into his food for a couple of days.” 

Alec takes both, and checks them quickly, then puts them into his coat pocket. “Thank you. Thank you for everything. Oh, what do I owe you?” He’s patting his pockets to find his wallet. 

“You’re welcome.” Magnus smiles reassuringly, writes him a receipt, and Alec pays immediately. 

“And it’s really safe to just walk him home now?” Alec glances from the vet to Jax insecurely, maybe he should get a taxi. 

“I’m sure it will be fine, how far from here do you live?” Magnus gestures them to head out, as he turns the light off again, and locks the door. 

“Um, about ten minutes.” 

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Magnus gets dressed and accompanies them outside, locks the front door, and realises they’re heading into the same direction.

“I’m heading this way, as well. I will see that you both get home safely, alright?” He smirks slightly, unable to suppress it. 

Alec’s eyes grow big, feeling relieved. “Thank you so much, that’s very kind of you. I can’t believe we got here just in time.” 

They start to walk, Alec watching Jax, still concerned he might feel sick suddenly, or something else.

“To be honest, you were lucky. I had a rather long winded operation, and stayed later than I usually do, but it all worked out in the end.” He smiles softly, noticing that the man hardly glances his way, too focused on Jax. Lucky boy. 

He turns to him then. “Oh, that sounds exhausting, I hope it went well?” 

Magnus nods. “Yes, fortunately it did.” The man smiles, and it’s so sudden and earnest, it surprises Magnus a little as a strange, tiny fluttering motion is set off inside his belly. 

But his attention is fast back on his dog, and Magnus sighs inwardly, shaking his head at himself. 

He notices the guy rubbing his eyes, guessing that the fear and exertion is starting to take effect on him, as well. He does feel for him, and he also feels glad. Glad that he was able to witness a kind-hearted act tonight. There are good humans, even though some days he curses humankind to all hell. 

“This is us.” The man gestures towards the next apartment building, and Magnus checks it quickly, ready to bid them goodnight, but he’s suddenly aware of them not next to him anymore, and he hears the man’s concerned voice before he turns around.

“Jax? What’s wrong, boy?” He’s crouching down beside him, and the dog looks, well, also exhausted, leaning heavily on his human. 

Magnus feels for them both, his eyes growing bigger as he watches the guy hoist the dog up into his arms once more. Is he really hiding those muscles beneath his clothes? The dog seems undisturbed again, trusting his human completely, and he even puts his big head on the man’s shoulder. 

His chest and stomach tighten with emotions Magnus doesn’t suppress, but cautiously reminds himself not to overdo, either. He gets lost in such feelings too easily at times, and this is merely a coincidence, but he wouldn’t want to trade it. 

The man gives Magnus a small, tired smile, and walks up the steps to the front door, trying to get something out of his coat pocket, without dropping his dog.

Keys, probably. Magnus can help one last time with that. He heads up there, standing next to them. “Can I help you with that?” 

The guy glances at him surprised, then looks a little embarrassed, yet grateful. “Sorry, yes, the keys are in my right coat pocket.”

Magnus feels a little strange as he slips his hand into the man’s pocket, but he’s certainly done a lot of stranger, and more unpleasant things, and he feels the keys and takes them out swiftly, then unlocks the door for him. 

“Thanks a lot, uh, would you mind just quickly coming upstairs? Just for two minutes, I promise.” 

Magnus looks taken aback for a second, the man’s words unexpected, and usually he would find that he’s already done more than his due, but the guy’s hazel eyes are so… intense, gazing at him, pleading. He nods before he knows that’s his decision, and steps into the elevator with them. 

“Third floor. Thank you.” The guy says, and Magnus pushes the button to the third floor. He feels odd, and they’re not talking, and he doesn’t know what to say, and what the man wants from him exactly, but he’s naturally too curious to stop now, he has to find out.

He waits for the man with his dog to step out first, follows them along the corridor to the last door on the left, and again unlocks it for them, and then he stands there, a little perplexed, watching as the man heads inside, and disappears, the door open, Magnus still holding the keys. 

He frowns, a little bemused, but he supposes that he is at least allowed to enter to return the keys. He could, of course, just leave them on the table in the small hall, but he is still too curious to see.

The hall ends in the living-room of a mid-sized apartment. Everything looks rather neat, until the couch table comes into sight. At least half a dozen books are lying open on it, in every which way, and papers, pencils, and a notebook peaks out from underneath. The walls are painted a bright beige, decorated with poster large photos of people, and animals, in fitting frames.

The shelves are stacked with books of all kinds, and there’s a guitar case in the corner, but Magnus’ attention is drawn to the man and the dog, on the couch, the animal draped over his human, giving him no space to even undress his coat, but the man seems rather content with that, stroking the animal’s head.

Magnus feels like an intruder, yet, seeing this moment between his unexpected visitors makes it worth coming up here.

The man looks up at him, his lips curling into a crooked smile, not at all seeming awkward having a stranger in his apartment. 

“You can drop the keys anywhere, and thank you so much for helping us tonight. I’m really sorry to inconvenience you like this.” The man looks so earnest, fatigued, and handsome, Magnus just stares for a moment, forgetting what he’s supposed to do.

But the ringtone of his phone quickly snaps his brain out of this peculiar daze. “Sorry, may I just take this?” 

“Of course.” The man nods, and leans back into the couch cushions, the dog seeming half asleep on him. 

Magnus walks into the next room, which he finds to be the kitchen, and quickly answers Cat’s call.

_ “Hey, how’s the patient doing? How much longer do you think you’ll be?”  _

“Um, the patient is fine, just worn out, but he’s asleep now, and oh, you should see this. He’s lying on top of him, and he carried him into the apartment! I know how heavy Labradors are, Cat, but this guy is quite… something.” Magnus smiles fondly to himself.

_ “Wait, he’s asleep? The dog or the man? And where are you?”  _

“Oh, at the guy’s apartment, I unlocked the doors for them because he carried his dog. They’re really quite sweet.” 

_ “You went home with the guy, and into his apartment? And you don’t sound unnerved, at all, rather, what’s the word? Ah, why does my mind never work when I drink? Oh, infatuated, that’s it.”  _

Magnus frowns deeply. He does  _ not _ sound like that. “Cat, my dear, how many bottles of Chardonnay have you emptied already?” 

_ “A few, but that’s not the point, I can clearly hear it in your voice, and I can even see your face right now. I mean, I can imagine it.”  _

Magnus raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Right, well, I will now leave these two here, and-” he checks his watch quickly, “make it just in time for Ragnor’s poetry recital.” He sighs. 

“Please give me a bottle of the good stuff so I will not make the same mistake as last year.” He cringes as he thinks about interrupting his friend because the poem was, even for his taste, unintelligible, and Magnus hadn’t had enough alcohol to not mind. 

The discussion became quite heated and almost ended in a full blown argument, which Cat, Dot and Raphael only just managed to diffuse, and Magnus knows better now to not be sober at this yearly event.

_ “Of course, I even mixed your favorite cocktail, so hurry over, unless-”  _

Magnus doesn’t like Cat’s tone at all. “Unless what?” 

_ “Well, unless you’d rather stay at the guy’s apartment with his sweet dog, or was the guy the sweet one, remind me?”  _

“Goodbye, Cat, see you  _ soon.”  _ He ends the call with an exasperated sigh, and tells himself to calm down, that she’s simply tipsy, and reading nonsense into things that aren’t even there.

He walks back into the living-room, about to apologize and bid the man goodnight, when he notices his eyes closed, his head to the side, his lips slightly parted, his hand motionless next to him. The dog is definitely asleep, as well, still lying across his human.

His heart does a little leap, but he ascribes the notion to his relief that tonight ended well, and the cuteness of the dog. 

He will certainly never forget this call. He smiles amusedly to himself, carefully puts the keys on the table, walks out suppressing the urge to look back a last time, and closes the apartment door as quietly as he can behind him.

~~~

Alec startles awake, his bladder almost bursting, and he just manages to push Jax off of him onto the couch, all of his muscles aching, and stumbles as fast as he can into the bathroom to pee.

Holy hell, that was just in time. He sighs and closes his eyes, half dazed manages to wash his hands, and peeks at himself in the mirror. Why is he still wearing his shawl and coat, and why… Jax! He hurries out of the bathroom and checks his dog over, but he wags his tail and licks his face, and he seems… alright. He hopes. He better be. 

He gets undressed quickly, washes up, brushes his teeth and heads back to the living-room in his favorite, warm pajamas Izzy got him five years ago for Christmas after a conversation they had in which he was determined to never wear pajamas. These ones are an exception, though, and he secretly got himself three more pairs.

Jax gets off the couch and trots after him into the small kitchen, drinks the water Alec gives him, and eats the food with the charcoal mixed into while Alec watches him very closely.

He seems fine, though. He surely is. That vet… fuck! Alec feels a hot-cold shower wash over him. The vet, he was here. Inside his apartment, and Alec… fuck! He fucking fell asleep on him?! First he makes such a fuss and even inconveniences him further, and then he just drops? He feels terrible, ashamed. Who does that? If only he hadn’t drunk all that mulled wine. If only he weren’t such a disaster generally.

Ohhhh shit! He forgets to worry about Jax who’s watching his human curiously, as he walks back and forth, mumbling to himself, running his hands over his face and through his messy hair, seeming agitated. 

Alec finally stops, leans against the counter, and sighs, his eyes finding Jax sitting on the floor in front of him. 

Alec smiles softly, crouches down, and cuddles the dog who’s eagerly reciprocating. “I was a bit over the top, and really not a good host, at all, Jax. And that vet was so kind to us, and-” 

Really  _ really _ handsome. Alec remembers his face, warm, brown eyes, the mole, the goatee, the styled hair, his smart clothes. He was definitely heading somewhere and Alec messed up his plans. He feels  _ bad,  _ especially for falling asleep on the man. What must he have been thinking? Probably that he’s the weirdest, most impolite dog owner ever. He buries his flushed face in Jax’s fur, and sighs deeply.

Maybe he can at least make a last better impression on him… if he dares to show his face in front of him again. He will debate that over the weekend.

~~~

After work on Monday evening, Alec takes a different route with Jax home, one where they have to pass the practice. Jax has shown no sign of discomfort, and Alec is very relieved, and grateful. He slows down as they get closer to the house, and he checks whether lights are on inside, which they are. They’re a couple of hours earlier than the last time.

“Damn, should we go say hi? Apologize for our very bad behavior, and hope the nice vet will forgive us?” He asks Jax, who’s wagging his tail, barks once, and, to Alec’s surprise, walks up the steps to the front door without waiting for Alec. 

“I guess that’s a definite yes.” He sighs and follows his dog, tries to gather some courage, and pushes the button.  _ Dr. Bane, Licensed Veterinarian.  _

He can hear footsteps as Jax gets a little more excited, obviously long forgiven the vet for making him sick. 

The door opens, and it’s really Dr. Bane standing before them, looking surprised, but, Alec hopes, not in a dreadful way. 

Now he isn’t in panic mode, Alec also sees that very handsome was a big understatement, the man is  _ gorgeous. _

Which is why he can’t remember what he was going to say or even why they came. Thankfully Jax does, and he barks once, in his very friendly way, and is delighted when the vet bends down to greet him properly.

“I see he’s recovered very well from his mishap last week. I’m very glad to see it.” Dr. Bane smiles and Alec feels his knees buckling.

What the hell is wrong with him? It’s not as if he’s never seen a good-looking guy, but, admittedly, the whole circumstances are quite different, and he feels indebted to him because of that night, and he’s sure there’s a Mrs. Bane, or girlfriend, or even anyone else, because a man like that couldn’t possibly be single, or, even less likely, ever be interested in someone like Alec. 

His brain is on overload, and he wishes he could redo all of this, but he's also not a stranger to situations where he's making a fool of himself, he just really wanted to avoid it this time. 

"Ah, yeah, he's fine, thanks to you, and also, I'm really very sorry about last time, I swear I'm not usually rude like that."

Dr. Bane straightens, making Alec aware of his broad shoulders and chest, clear to see through his shirt. Alec tries not to stare, but not looking at his face would be very rude, as well. If only he wasn't feeling so warm due to his nerves, and this sudden attraction towards the man. 

"It's alright, I forget that people can still surprise me, sometimes." He smirks softly, and Alec flushes. 

"Well, yeah, we'd just hoped it wasn't one of the worst surprises." He swallows, looking remorseful, hoping inwardly. 

Dr. Bane looks at Jax for a moment, smiles more, and meets Alec’s eyes again. "You needn't worry, I thought you were quite charming, actually." 

Alec feels stunned, but surely he means Jax by that. Surely… 

"Would you like to come in for a minute? It's a lot warmer." Dr. Bane steps back, and, though Alec is about to refuse, Jax walks inside happily, and Alec swallows his words, following his dog, thanking the vet, feeling as if he is in need of an ice cold bath rather than more heat. 

He shows them to his office, and offers Alec a seat who sits down, feeling a little awkward, and like he’s intruding again, torn between embarrassment, and feeling drawn towards the man, which he tries to push away, to be able to have a half decent conversation.

“You should know that I don’t usually trouble strangers like that, I was kind of out of it with what happened to Jax, and I had a bit too much mulled wine before that, and I am really sorry.” 

“Apology accepted, and it really wasn’t too much trouble, and it’s not like I haven’t had my fair share of foolish, and awkward situations in my life, so, really, don’t worry about it.”

The man looks genuine, trustworthy, and is truly, probably, very likely the most handsome man Alec’s seen face to face, and being a vet, he must be very intelligent, and compassionate, emphatic, caring… his brain is running away with him, and he clears his throat, shifting a little in the chair, his eyes wandering around the office. 

There are photos of animals, certificates, and a calendar, and Alec suddenly remembers something, and quickly thinks it through. “Um, actually, our vet is retiring in January, and I was wondering whether you would mind taking us, I mean, Jax on? Your place is far closer to ours.” 

It’s all true, but Alec wonders whether this is really a good thing, having to see this gorgeous doctor at least once a year. But he can probably manage.

Magnus looks surprised, pleasantly so, and affirms. “Let me enter your information now, then whenever you want to call in, it will be much faster.” He opens the document in his computer, and gets ready to type, more than curious about the man’s name, and anything else he might be able to learn about him. 

For a moment, he can clearly see the looks on his friends’ faces, but he wills them away, telling himself this is sheer professional, and the guy asked him to by himself, though Magnus does wonder about this coincidence. 

Alec Lightwood. It’s a lovely name, and while he fills in Jax’s information, he’s smiling to himself, feeling pleased that Mr. Lightwood felt bad enough to seek him out again. 

When they’re done, Alec gets up and holds out his hand, “Thank you.” Magnus gets up, and takes his hand. “You’re very welcome.” 

There’s a moment their gaze seems so intense, it sparks prickles all along Alec’s spine, across his body, and Dr. Bane’s hand is warm, feels assured, confident, and the moment lasts entirely too long. 

Alec blinks when their hands part, and turns around, slowly stepping back towards the door. He could ruin this new professional relationship by asking him this, and make an even greater fool of himself, but he also thinks that the vet is kind, and confident enough to refuse him, and not hold it against him.

“So, are you going home now?” Alec stares, mouth open, not having expected him to say something, ask a question, first. His brain scatters.

“Uh, y-yeah, I mean, no, we’re going to the Christmas market again, just have a walk around.” 

“Ah, it’s a rather nice market this year, I have to admit.” Dr. Bane answers, and Alec takes all the courage he can muster.

“Would you like to join us?” He feels shivery and sweaty, and he cannot really say why, hasn’t been in this kind of situation for a long time, and, anyway, it’s never been quite like this.

Dr. Bane seems shocked, or maybe, it’s just Alec’s distorted perception, certain that the man is very busy, and has far more important things to do, and people he wants to spend his time with, rather than a foolish stranger. 

“I would love to.” 

Alec looks shocked now. “Uh, great.”  _ What? Really? How? Why? _

“I have a few things to finish here, let me meet you there in an hour? Is that alright?” 

He wants to meet him there in an hour. It’s not his imagination. He nods, smiling softly, feeling stunned. “Yes, of course, perfect.” 

“Good, see you then.” He smiles, and Alec feels the tension fall off of him, smiling back.

He turns one last time, his brain being helpful for once. “We’ll be at the youth charity booth.” 

“Okay, I’ll find it.” 

Alec nods, still smiling, and closes the door. He inhales and exhales deeply, glances down at his dog who’s, again, watching him in a peculiar way, and just shakes his head, his mind starting to overthink the whole situation.

~~~

Magnus prioritises the work more efficiently than he usually does, and leaves some of it for tomorrow. He tells himself off several times for feeling so odd inside, almost giddy, and some people would say he’s far too old for that.

But then he doesn’t care for some people, only a selected few, but they would make this out to be way more than it is. He’s simply… charmed. He hadn’t expected to see Jax and his human again, especially so soon, and he feels a little overwhelmed with the outcome of their encounter, because does this really mean that  _ Alec _ has some kind of intention towards Magnus, or does he think he had to invite him due to a guilty conscience?

Magnus would feel so disappointed at the latter option, and he really hopes that’s not it, but he doesn’t know the man enough to properly judge him, so all he can do is meet him at the market, and find out.

It’s colder again, and a few snowflakes settle in Magnus’ hair as he walks across the market, trying to find the youth charity booth. He wonders why there, but when it comes into view, it looks like the dog and his human have a few friends there.

They’re both surrounded by people, mostly kids and young adults, and Jax seems completely at ease, and soaking up the attention. Alec is talking to a teenager, and Magnus slowly approaches them, not wanting to intrude, but the moment Alec spots him, he smiles as if he’s happy to see him, and also surprised that he really came, and Magnus takes that as a good sign.

“Hey, you’re here.” 

Magnus nods, looking into the man’s shining eyes. He’s not imagining this. Is he? 

“Um, would you like something to eat, or drink?” The mulled wine booth is close, and Magnus could do with the warmth, though he already feels more comfortable in the man’s presence. Sometimes these things are so unpredictable.

They settle down on a canopied bench where Alec can watch Jax from, and sip on their hot drinks.

“He seems to love being the center of attention.” Magnus muses, and Alec smiles softly. 

“He does, but he knows them all from the youth center we work at. I’m a social worker there, and Jax has been coming with me for eight months now. He’s very loved.” 

Magnus is quite astounded to hear that, but when he thinks about it, it makes sense. They’re both very caring, and good-hearted, and he can’t be wrong about this. 

“I can imagine. That’s a big responsibility.” He says almost more to himself, memories of his childhood and youth in his mind. 

“It is, yeah, but he makes everything better. My friend had him as a puppy, just for a couple of months, because she couldn’t keep him, so she fostered him and found him a home, and we thought it was a good one, but some time later we found out by chance that he was abandoned, and that’s when he got poisoned, as well, just eating whatever he could find.” 

Magnus can clearly tell how much Jax’s story gets to his human, and he wholeheartedly understands it. It’s horrible when their forever home turns out to be a nightmare.

“I didn’t think about it, I just went to the clinic every day, and hoped he would make it, and then I took him home, because I couldn’t let something like that happen to him again. And he changed my whole life, and he’s changing many lives for the better. The kids are so often traumatised in ways they can’t talk to anyone because they don’t trust us, but Jax, so far, has managed to get through to them all, even those who were scared of him at first. He just instinctively knows when someone is in distress, or upset, or afraid, and he is so calm, and just wants to protect weaker beings, also animals, he’s never been badly behaved towards others in need, but he also senses people with bad intentions, and he’s never been wrong.” 

Alec sighs softly, admiration and fondness written all over his face, and Magnus feels his heart beating faster. Oh. 

He turns to him, his cheeks flushed, looking a little bashful, which makes him only more endearing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to dump all this on you, it’s just, when I’m nervous I either talk too much, or lose my ability to.” 

Magnus lets his eyes wander over his face, shaking his head slowly. “You really don’t have to apologize for that, and I love hearing about him, and you. It’s very admirable work, more than that.” Magnus hopes that Alec’s nerves go deeper than being in the presence of a stranger he thinks he owes, and at the same time, he’s a little apprehensive of the part that goes deeper.

“Well, I guess, but I admire you a lot more, I mean, you literally save animals from dying, and give them a better, healthier life, that’s amazing.” 

Magnus hasn’t felt such pride in what he does for a while, which becomes blatantly clear as this man is looking at him, full of adoration. Hell, he can’t let all of this cloud his mind. He hasn’t allowed attraction to grow into anything more than a tiny sapling in his heart for years, so it was easy to stomp it into the ground again, but right now he feels as if this sapling has overgrown all of those before, and it’s much too soon for that.

“Can I ask how you knew that’s what you wanted to do?” 

Magnus glances away, to Jax, and the young people, his mind wandering back in time. 

“Well, the short story is that I met a veterinarian that profoundly inspired, and motivated me, and I wanted to be like her.” 

“And the long story?” Alec’s voice is softer, lower, as if he could tell there’s trauma beneath it all. 

Magnus wouldn’t usually tell the long story to anyone he just met. Not even to newer friends. But he feels strangely secure, comfortable enough. And the reason for that may very well be knowing about Alec’s work, and hoping very much that he won’t change his view of him, that those pretty hazel eyes won’t look at him with pity.

He takes courage. “I grew up in the foster system after my mother made me move here from Indonesia, and forced me to live with an abusive man she didn’t know how to rid herself of. My father had died, and she had no source of income, and that man promised her the world as he took us to the US, but it was just another kind of hell. I don’t blame her anymore, but back then I couldn’t take it. I ran away, and lied about my age, name, where I came from, and no one seemed to care enough to find out. When I was fourteen, I found a bird with a broken wing, and brought it to the nearest vet. Dr. Cleo Graymark was, and still is, an outstanding physician, and was very different from most of the adults I’d met until then. She explained everything to me as if she thought I was smart enough to understand it. She treated me with kindness, and respect, and she told me to come by if I had any questions.” 

Magnus smiles seeing her face before him. “She’s the reason I eventually decided to study veterinary medicine, after working my butt off to get the grades I needed to even get into college.” He smirks softly. 

“She taught me a lot, and made me appreciate animals even more than I used to. At home, I was always surrounded by them, and fought bullies off, but here was a very different life, and I felt lost for a long time. But I’m old enough to leave that in the past, and focus on the good it brought me.” 

He glances over at Alec, to find out how his story changed him. He finds him watching him, his eyes more intense, bright, and interested, and, to Magnus’ relief, there’s no pity, but even more admiration than before. 

“What happened to your mother?” 

Magnus feels old aches in his heart, but they’re quickly replaced by content. “We found each other again when I was eighteen. I had sought her out before that, because when I came to terms with my issues, I felt horrible for running away, and not contacting her all that time. And I was so glad to find out that she had divorced him a few years back, and had gotten help from friends, and a social worker who had put her in touch with the right attorneys, and helped her find a place of her own. I was too ashamed to seek her out personally, though.” 

He looks down at his cup, his finger tracing the rim of it. “We bumped into each other at a supermarket, if you can believe it. And though she hadn’t seen me for so long, she immediately recognized me, and started to cry. And so did I.” 

He smiles a little, feeling those emotions come to the surface. “We’re good now, it’s all forgiven, and I learned to understand her reasons, as well, and that it’s never easy for anyone in a bad situation. She had tried to find me, too, but she couldn’t have, because I’d changed my name.” 

Alec nods a little, remembering. Dr. Bane. But… “What’s your first name?” 

“Magnus.” 

Magnus Bane. Alec loves the sound of it. And the sound of his story, tragic, but with a very happy ending. Those are the best ones, the ones he strives for, for every child and adolescent he crosses lives with. 

And having heard Magnus’ story, gives him even more drive to do better. One can never know. Playing even the smallest part in someone’s life can be a turning point for that person. 

And he feels so happy that Magnus found his mother again, and that they could save their relationship. It’s never too late, as long as both are willing to. He feels all kinds of things, but mainly good. 

“Thank you for trusting me.” He smiles gently at Magnus, happy to see him reciprocating it. A second later, Jax suddenly appears, lying his head in Magnus’ lap, who looks quite dumbfounded.  _ Adorable _ , thinks Alec.

“Told you he senses your emotions.” Alec grins, and Magnus chuckles softly, stroking the dog’s head, and neck. An extraordinary friend, indeed.

“Can I ask about you? What made you become a social worker?” Magnus is still stroking Jax who seems blissfully happy, even closes his eyes. 

Alec nods, folds his hands, and thinks back to when he was twelve. “My best friend’s parents died when he was ten, and I asked my parents to let him come live with us. I remember their expressions very clearly. And their words. They said that it wasn’t that easy, and that he couldn’t just live with us. I was really upset and angry at them, because I didn’t understand why he couldn’t. That’s what started my interest and career in the vast complexity of our social system.” Alec smiles a bit, but he feels bitter, sad, and mad, about so many injustices. 

“That’s so tough, I feel for him. How is he doing now?” Magnus can relate to Alec’s friend’s story, and it brings some unpleasant memories, and feelings, back.

“He’s still my best friend, got a job he’s good at, and likes, and someone he adores, and, actually, now my parents treat him like a son, but that took some time, and I know it’s not easy to adopt a child, but I still wish they had at least tried, but that’s in the past.” Alec visibly composes himself, and musters a smile for Magnus as he turns to look at him.

“Where do you wanna go?” 

~~~

“So, you play the guitar?” They’re walking across the market, Jax by Alec’s side, being greeted by people now and then who know them while eating candied almonds Magnus bought them.

Alec frowns a little, wondering how Magnus could know. “I saw the case in your apartment.” He supplies helpfully, making Alec flush again at this sore memory of his. 

“Ah, right. Um, yeah, I’ve been trying to learn for a couple of years, because at one of our advanced trainings they said that music is a good way to communicate, and make the kids open up. I can play a few, easy songs, but it takes a lot of time, to be honest, and now I have my secret weapon.” He grins at Jax, whose tail is wagging back and forth very fast, as if he knows Alec means him. 

Magnus smiles broadly. “As I see it, you’re both quite astounding.” 

Alec looks a bit startled at him, feeling his neck and ears get hot this time. Oh boy. “Uh, thanks, ditto.” They just grin at each other, walking past a gingerbread booth, and Alec glances over, and suddenly pauses.

“What is it?” Magnus asks, trying to find what Alec’s looking at. “Be the spice to my gingerbread heart. Really? Those phrases get worse and cornier every year.” Magnus spots said gingerbread heart, and chuckles quietly.

“Well, I suppose some could find it romantic, in a funny, corny way.” He muses, and laughs a little at Alec’s exasperated eyeroll. He loves that he seems more natural with him now, more confident, and comfortable, and Magnus is also happy that his doubts were in vain.

It keeps snowing, and the snow stays on the ground, slowly becoming thicker, as the clock strikes nine times. Alec sighs a little inwardly. “We should head home soon, we have an early morning, visiting a couple of orphanages. Jax plays Santa for them. One of the kids put hats, and all kinds of stuff on him, and he didn’t even mind. He’s such a weirdo. So, my boss thinks it’d be great if he puts on a santa hat or reindeer thingy, and brings some Christmas joy. But at least I don’t have to dress up, so I guess I have to thank this wonderful dog even more.” Alec smiles, fully smitten, at Jax.

Magnus wishes for one moment that Alec would smile like that at him. Just once. 

“That sounds, uh, well, have fun.” He smirks, and Alec nudges his arm, smirking himself.

“We will. At least we can make everyone smile for a bit, that’s always worth it. We don’t just do this at Christmas now, because I knew that not everyone celebrates it, of course, but I was never faced with that personally before this job. I gained a lot of knowledge from the kids and young adults, and I read up on all of their celebrations and traditions, and we now include, and do something special, for everyone at the center. Jax seems to love bringing joy the most anyway, and it’s a good thing. I’ve never learned more about people than here, hearing so much about everyone’s hopes, fears, experiences, identities, and cultures. It’s quite overwhelming sometimes, but it’s also really great.” 

Magnus feels a lump in his throat suddenly, and Alec seems a little embarrassed as he looks at him. “Sorry, I said too much again.” 

Magnus shakes his head quickly. “No, honestly, you don’t have to be sorry. I really enjoy listening to you.” He likes the way he sounds; serious, excited, soft, low, deep, amused. All of it. He could probably listen to him for hours. 

“And what you do is truly wonderful, and I’m sure every single kid appreciates it. I know because I was in their place, and I would have loved it.” He smiles gently, feeling a little melancholic, but extremely fortunate to have come across Alec, and Jax. Sometimes life is great.

“Thank you. And thanks for joining us today, we really loved it.” Alec swallows, licking his cold, dry lips, his eyes flicking to Magnus’ for the minutest moment. 

“Thank you for inviting me, it was my pleasure. Oh, here.” He takes out his wallet, and a small card from that, handing it to Alec. “That’s my mobile number, in case you have any dog related questions, or an emergency, or even a non-emergency.” 

Their eyes stay locked for a long, intense moment. “Thanks.” Alec puts it safely into his pocket. “I’ll text you so you got my number, should you ever want to, uh, call, or text, or something.” He feels like an idiot again, but doesn’t even mind when Magnus smiles.

They say bye at the crossroad, heading into opposite directions.

~~~

A few days later, Alec’s in a music store, looking for last minute gifts, and by chance he spots a CD, _Classical Masterpieces_ _Vol.2,_ and he’s so perplexed by this, and the memory it evokes, that he buys it immediately. 

He doesn’t manage to wrap it until the next day, and walks with Jax to Magnus’ practice after his shift. He’s excited to see him again, having had several conversations via texts through the days, and he likes that Magnus sounds exactly like himself in person. It’s quite easy to imagine him saying the words, and the expressions he’d make. 

He now knows that Magnus lives with a cat, a tabby called Chairman Meow, which is the most badass name Alec’s ever heard for an animal, and that no one else lives with them, which is very important information. Magnus even sent him a photo of his cat, and Alec sent a photo of Jax with his favorite bunny toy in return, and told him the story about the real bunny one of the kids brought to the center, which Jax fell in love with. 

He waited patiently, for weeks, until the rabbit wasn’t scared of him anymore, and they found them snuggling, and playing, every day. When the kid and rabbit left, Jax was very upset, so Alec got the toy bunny for him, and Jax loves it, and rarely sleeps without it.

Alec has been thinking about Magnus  _ a lot,  _ hoping that Magnus thinks about him, too.

Magnus has been thinking about Alec  _ a lot,  _ hoping the same. 

The snow is the thickest it’s been, yet, and some children are playing outside in it, building snow figures in the street, the cars unable to drive fast, and there isn’t much traffic about, anyway. 

He notices the fairy lights hanging above the door of Magnus’ practice, making him smile, his chest tightening. He inhales and exhales deeply, and takes two steps at a time, free of snow, after Jax, who’s already waiting for him. 

“You’re also eager, hm?” He grins to himself, shakes the nerves off his shoulders, and pushes the button.

The footsteps sound normal at first, but then pause, and continue faster and louder, and the door is opened swiftly. 

“Alec, Jax, I didn’t know you were coming.” Magnus seems pleased, and Alec’s stomach flip flops happily.

“It’s meant to be a surprise, of course. Are you free for a minute?” Alec smiles, and Magnus ushers them inside jauntily, and into his office. 

“Were you just passing by?” He pours Alec a cup of tea, freshly brewed not long ago, and hands him one as if he’s done this many times. He hopes it will become reality. 

“Not exactly, I wanted to give you something, here.” Alec takes the gift from his messenger bag, and hands it to Magnus, who stares at it speechlessly.

“You can open it.” Alec almost laughs at Magnus’ stunned face, hoping very much he isn’t mistaken, but a glance at the corner of the room, confirms that he wasn’t. 

Magnus unwraps the dark blue paper with silver stars, and is even more amazed to find the album he’s missing. “How?” 

Alec grins, pleased with himself. “I noticed you have Volume 1, 3 and 4, so.” He shrugs. 

Magnus feels staggered that Alec even noticed, and got this for him. Wow. “Thank you very much, I did have it, but, to be honest it was my favorite and I played it so often that it got scratched, and I had to throw it away, and never thought to buy it again.” He puts the CD with the others, feeling joyful.

“You’re very welcome.” Alec smiles, his ears, and cheeks flushed, and Magnus could just… but, they’re not there, yet. 

“Actually, I have something for you, too. But you might hate it.” Alec blinks, completely perplexed. Magnus has a present for him? But he might hate it? No way ever! But why would he have a present  _ for him _ ?

Magnus walks around to his desk and gets a paper bag from his bag, and hands it to Alec. “Sorry, it’s not even wrapped.” 

Alec shakes his head, not minding at all, too curious at this unforeseen development.

He cannot believe when he takes out the gingerbread heart they saw that night at the market, with the phrase he made fun of. He can’t but laugh, his eyes tearing up. 

“Thank you, that’s fantastic.” He laughs more, while Magnus watches him, looking like the Cheshire cat. 

“I’m glad your sense of humor matches mine, and I also got these for Jax.” He crouches down, and shows Jax a smaller bag, that he sniffs immediately, his tail wagging fast.

“Dog cookies, completely chocolate, and poison free, I promise.” Magnus grins up at Alec who seems pleased with Jax’s present, as well, and Jax would gobble down the whole bag if Magnus let him. He strokes and pats him, giving the rest to Alec to give him another time.

“Thanks, these are awesome presents, you really shouldn’t have.” But he is extremely happy about them, mostly that Magnus took the time and effort. Because it means… it means… something. 

“It’s my pleasure.” Magnus’ smile is so lovely, Alec wants to touch it, kiss it. He blinks, and averts his eyes, saved by the kids knocking against the door, shouting for them to come outside.

Magnus grins. “Their parents are my customers, they know me quite well. So, do you want to?” 

Alec is surprised, and excited to go outside, with Magnus, to play. It feels just right, to be able to chase those yelling children, Jax always faster but never too wild. Making snowballs and throwing them, getting hit by snowballs, falling into the snow. Making snow angels. 

He feels completely carefree, light, excited, with a full heart, happy. 

In love. 

The children have gone home for dinner, and Magnus and Alec are still lying on the ground where they made their snow angels, their faces turned towards each other, their gloved hands almost touching. Jax is running all through the snow with pure joy. 

Alec wishes he could freeze this moment in time, and keep it forever. Pretend if he must. That Magnus feels the same way he does.

They move almost simultaneously, the snow seeping through their clothes in parts, making them shudder. They smile at each other, and Alec reaches out a hand towards Magnus, who grabs it to pull himself up, slips and falls, not letting go of Alec, making him fall on top of him.

“Shit, sorry.” Magnus laughs, and Alec stares, scared he hurt him, and shocked to be suddenly  _ this  _ close to him. 

“Are you okay?” Magnus is wiping a strand of Alec’s hair from his forehead, with his cold, wet, gloved hand, but Alec doesn’t even mind, shivering not just from the cold.

“Yeah, are you? I didn’t crush you?” 

Magnus shakes his head, still smiling, the light from the streetlamp shining on his face, the sky dark blue above them. 

“You may crush on me, though.” 

Alec’s breath catches in his throat, his eyes wide, staring at Magnus’ face. His eyes are sparkling, and he looks so lovely, wonderful, irresistible. 

“I-”

Alec moves his head down to stop whatever Magnus was going to say, making sure he knows Alec understood that he’s been granted permission. Their lips are cold, and it takes several seconds for him to properly feel Magnus’, but it’s still his favorite kiss. 

He pulls back with a smile. “I am crushing on you, completely.” He huffs a little laugh, then yells surprised as he’s pushed and turned on his back, Magnus shifting onto him, grinning, their noses almost touching.

“Me too.” Magnus pulls off one of his gloves, to touch Alec’s face with his bare, somewhat warm fingers, and kisses him again, getting lost.

Until a very wet, very cold snout pushes in between them, startling them apart, and they sit up, frowning at Jax who sits between them, licks Alec’s, then Magnus’ face. 

“Lovely, crazy dog.” Alec sighs, and wipes the slobber off of his face.

“He is probably jealous, and wants kisses, too. Has he ever seen you kissing someone?” Magnus looks at Alec curiously while cuddling Jax.

“No, I haven’t been with anyone since… before Jax.” He stands up, and offers Magnus his hand, making sure he won’t slip again.

“Well, I guess he will get used to it, if that’s something you want him to get used to?” 

Magnus glances up at Alec, almost a little insecurely, and Alec isn’t sure what to say, so, instead, he moves closer, and wraps his arms around Magnus, their wet winter jackets making awkward noises between them.

Neither of them minds, though, and Magnus leans into him, holding him tightly. His heart is hammering so loud, and he feels very emotionally charged, but, above all, this feels  _ right. _

Half an hour later, they’re at Alec’s apartment, to get warm, and dry, and spend more time together. Cat is going to catsit the Chairman, delighted that she was right all along about Magnus and the dog loving stranger, very much wanting to meet Alec ASAP, but willing to wait just a few more days. 

Alec’s friends and family - who he hasn’t managed to keep his feelings a secret from - are also very curious to meet the man that conquered Alec’s heart so easily, but Alec told them to back off and wait until they’re ready. He wants to enjoy their time for now, which is only their beginning, but he feels ecstatically hopeful about Magnus, now he knows he wants to be with him, too.

Jax is carrying his bunny toy around, Alec is making tea, warming up some pasta in the oven, and Magnus takes a closer look around, now he feels that he’s allowed to. He wouldn’t have believed this a week ago, but now, he really feels good about opening up to someone again, someone who might not break his heart. 

He’s willing to trust Alec, because he knows he can’t fight his feelings when they’re this strong, and there is something that feels so thrilling, yet safe, about Alec, and that’s a combination Magnus could become addicted to.

He’s scanning through the pages of a book about social justice when goosebumps appear on his neck, his attention shifting to Alec, now dressed in a black shirt, his hair unruly, his face darkened in the shadows, until he steps into the light towards Magnus, and Magnus is fast to put the book back, his hands coming to rest on Alec’s hips, their bodies close enough to touch in places, their noses brushing, their smiles kissed away by warm, gentle lips. 

Alec’s fingers are tracing Magnus’ back, along every muscle and knob, up to his neck, and into his hair, a multitude of shudders rushing all along his skin, Magnus’ fingers curled tightly in Alec’s shirt, their kisses sweet, and playful, growing deeper, and fiercer. 

Magnus brings his hands up, around Alec’s face, feeling the ticklish roughness of his stubble, his skin quite soft, warm. He slides his fingers up over his ears, into his hair which he’s been wanting to do so often, feel those messy, soft strands tickling his fingers. 

He loves the taste, and smell of him, how their lips and bodies mold together, how his breath sounds in his ears. He knows he could love this man wholeheartedly. But, shockingly, even more so, he sees it in his eyes when they part for air.

Alec’s looking at him the way Magnus wished to be looked at, and he’s smiling at him the way he wished to be smiled at. And, finally, he may be loved the way he has always wished to be loved.

Alec wraps his hand around Magnus’ wrist gently, and guides his hand down to his face, kissing the palm of it, their eyes never straying, their heartbeats syncing. 

Magnus can hear Jax on the couch, glancing over at him for just a second. He seems content enough with his toy, his eyes closed.

“I think he might not actually mind us.” Magnus whispers, unable to speak louder, feeling overcome by emotions, and sensations, too intense to give a name.

Alec nods lightly, places Magnus’ outstretched hand on his chest, over his heart, covers it with his own, and surges forward, meeting Magnus halfway, eager to taste each other again.

They make out until they smell something burnt, and Jax barks as a warning. Alec saves the pasta just in time, and it’s partly still edible. They laugh and hug, and enjoy it with a glass of wine, while chatting idly, caressing hands, and legs, sharing smiles, and looks of affection.

They join Jax on the couch, pat him, and kiss a lot more, eventually falling asleep while some show keeps quietly playing, their hands intertwined, their heads lying together, snow falling outside. 


End file.
